2023 Season: Game 133-138 Recaps – Game Dates September 5-10, 2023
Note: The Saints began the week three games out of a potential triple-A International League playoff spot with 18 games remaining as they opened a 6-game series in Louisville against the Bats. Game times this week are 5:35 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 6:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12:05 p.m. Sunday.
St. Paul Saints 7, Louisville Bats 6
Friday, Sept. 8
The Saints put up 7 runs in the first three innings and held on for their fourth straight win, 7-6, over the Bats with two games left in the 6-game series in Louisville. They are still 2 games behind the co-leaders in the triple-A International League’s second half at 36-25, with just one playoff spot left and 14 games remaining.
The local lads have been on a home run tear of late, clubbing 8 of them including grand slams by Lee and Larnach in their previous three games. They only got one roundtripper last night, by Wolters, but Lee and Keirsey Jr. sliced a pair of triples, with Keirsey Jr. amassing 4 RBI on the night.
Saints starter Dobnak gave up 2 runs in the 1st inning and 4 in the 4th to pull the Bats within one run, 7-6. But relievers Schulfer and Sands came on to preserve the Saints’ lead with two shutout innings apiece.
St. Paul Saints 10, Louisville Bats 3
Thursday, Sept. 7
Two long balls and another that wasn’t hit as far but bounced quite a ways powered the Saints to their third straight win as the Saints topped the Bats, 10-3, last night (Thursday) to take a 3-0 lead in their 6-game road trip to Louisville.
Kyle Garlick went deep twice, and Gilberto Celestino collected an inside-the-park roundtripper when the ball caromed off the wall and bounced to where the centerfielder had been before sprinting to back up the leftfielder. Each homer produced two runs.
And then there was Simeon Woods-Richardson’s pitching. He completed 6 innings and allowed just one run while walking a single Bats batsman and striking out 5 of them.
With a 35-25 record in the second half of the triple-A International League season, St. Paul moved a game closer to Durham and Lehigh Valley in the race for the only remaining playoffs spot. They trail those two teams, which both lost, by two games with 21 left to play. Buffalo is also two games back.
St. Paul Saints 13, Louisville Bats 8
Wednesday, Sept. 6
It was Trevor Larnach tonight (Wednesday) as the Saints hit another grand slam home run to defeat the Bats, 13-3, and take a 2-0 lead in the 6-game road series.
After the Saints squandered a big lead to go from leading, 6-2, to trailing, 8-6, the local lads scored 7 in the top of the 9th on an RBI single by Helman, a 2-run double by major league rehabber Kirilloff, and Larnach’s blast.
St. Paul also got a 4-bagger from Helman and one by Larnach, his first of 2. They needed all those runs because three Saints relievers surrendered that 6-2 lead by giving up 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th, including a grand salami by the Bats. Louisville kept plenty of men on base thanks to 11 walks by Saints pitchers. Starting pitcher Festa had a 2-0 lead when he left the game after 3 innings. Festa allowed 3 hits and walked 6 batters while striking out another half-dozen Bats batsmen.
Larnach’s grand slam, the first of his career, was the Saints’ 13th of the season, the most in professional baseball at any level.
The Saints are still 3 games behind in the race for a playoff spot in triple-A International League playoffs because 4 of the 5 teams ahead of them also won tonight.
St. Paul Saints 11, Louisville Bats 3
Tuesday, Sept. 5
Brooks Lee, the No. 2 prospect in the Twins organization, smashed a 415-foot grand slam to left-center field to help the Saints end a 3-game losing streak with an 11-3 win over the Louisville Bats. But the standings deficit stayed at 3 games with 5 teams ahead of them.
The Saints also got a 3-run double from Helman, who played his first game since a shoulder injury May 11, and a 2-run homer from Severino. Severino’s second roundtripper as a Saint gave him 30 for the minor league season (28 at double-A Wichita), only the eighth player to hit 30 at any level of the minors.
Note: The 12 grand slams for the Saints this year are the most at any level of American baseball.
The Saints pitched by committee again — with Enlow pitching the first three innings and McMahon, Schulfer, Balazovic and Brice chipping in – and scattered 9 singles while striking out 8 Bats batsmen.
How to Hear and See the Saints
All games on KFAN Plus (96.7 FM), I-Heart app, MiLB.TV, Bally app (Apple only); home games on local television public programming (consult your TV listings); Saturday and Sunday home games televised on WUCW (The CW Network).